The sun might be about to set on one of the best web-based video-on-demand services. According to the New York Post, Hulu will soon require that you prove you have a pay-tv subscription to watch shows on the streaming service. Is the golden age of cable cutting coming to an end?

According to the report, the new "authentication" model is being driven by Hulu's entertainment company owners—Disney, News Corp., and Comcast—who've all seen their profits take a hit as fewer people are subscribing to cable in favor of cheap or free online streaming services. The new system would require you to enter an account number to watch shows. It's unclear whether all of Hulu's content would be covered by the new model or whether it will only be certain popular content.

We reached out to Hulu for comment but didn't immediately hear back. We'll update when we do. [New York Post]